Street-car



(No Model.)

W. G. ELLIS.

STREET GAR.

No. 398,594. Patented Feb. 26, 1889.

w M a/ '1 Pi .I.

UNTTE STATES PATENT ()EEICE.

WILLIAM G. ELLIS, OF AMESBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.

STREET-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,594, dated February 26, 1889.

Application filed December 5, 1888. Serial No. 292,753. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, \VILLIAM G. ELLIS, a resident of Amesbury, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented cerof such an angle that when all the parts are in position it will fit closely to the flat surface of the post A A, and on its inn er surface is a projecting rim, 5', which forms a socket for the reception of the seat-bar 5 (shown at s, Fig. 8,) and terminatcs in a flange, 5- which reaches downward in the proper proportion to become a stiffening-brace to the joints of the panelments are, first, to produce a streetcar of such 1 construction that it will belighter an d stronger 1 than those built by the present method; sec- 1 0nd, to simplify the construction and increase l the strength and durability of the seats used therein. ner of preparing and quality of the prepared material used in the construction thereof, the second by the mechanical devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an outside elevation of the panelframe, showing the construction of the parts. Fig. 2 is aview of the post; Fig. 3, an enlarged section on line a: a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a back view of the metal guard; and Fig. 5 is a cross section on y y, Fig. 1.

The post A A, which is the principal support of the body of the seat in open street cars and Fig. 1, of which there are two to each seat, one at the perpendicular center of each, is secured in the car in the usual manner in such position that it will be at the perpendicular center of the panel-frame B, as shown at A. The panel-frame B is made of wood and consists of three pieces, two uprights, 5 b, and a cross-piece, b, the interior edges of which are grooved for the reception of a panel if so required, (see Fig. 5,) which are framed together in the usual manner,

(shown at b, Fig. 3,) and are firmly held by the side surfaces are again out the same curve of i the post A A, the evil isintensified. The manaction of the metal guard b and draw-bolts b, as will be explained farther on.

The body of the metal guard 19 is circular in outline, and its interior is cored outin such proportion that it will pass over, envelop, and fit closely on the top ends of the uprights b, and its center is provided with a hole, .9, for the reception of the draw-bolt I)". (See 5, Fig. 4.) Branching upward from its peripherical surface in the form of a reversed curve is a gooseneck,d, which terminates in a flange, a,

The first result I attain by the manclosely together, also to draw and secure the b and s, Fig. 3.

frame B.

To secure the parts together, the guard 11 is placed over the outer top end of the cross-piece b, one on each end, and the draw-bolt I)" passed through the hole 5, also through the framework of the panel-frame B and threaded in the end of the seat-bar s the required distance to press the joints of the panel-frameB seat-bar s firmly in the socket s, as shown at The flanges a are then secured to the front and rear surfaces of the post A A by a screw-bolt, a Fig. 1, the curved goose-necks cl forming the grab-rails of the seat, thus securing with three bolts the panel frame B, grab-rail d, and seat-bars 5 It will be noted that in this mode of construction the metal guard, grab-rail d, seatbar socket s, and strengthening-brace s are all combined in one piece.

The front and rear surfaces of the post A A are parallel and in straight line, as shown at A A, Fig. 1. Its outer and inner surfaces are parallel with each other in the form of a re- 1 versed curve, as shown atA A, Fig. 2, and the present manner of makin them is to cut them to the desired shape from a straight plank of the required thickness, thus cutting across the grain of the wood, as shown at s", Fig. 2, which reduces its strength at the place where it is most needed, and as the uprights b I) are first cut to the shape shown at b, Fig. 1, and the ner in which I remedy this defect, and which forms part of the subject-matter of this ap plication for Letters Patent, is as follows: I prepare the material for the posts A A and uprights Z) Z) in straight parallel pieces of the required dimensions. Then by the use of steam or other suitable means bend and set them to and in the required form, when the grain or fiber of the wood, running in the same direction with the curves, as shown by the arrows on the post A A, Fig. 2, makes them of equal strength at all points.

7 It will be understood that I do not claim the posts A A as exclusive of posts in streetcars, but simply as of improved (ieonstruction, as before explained, the improvement consisting of bringing the fiber or grain of the wood in line with the curves in the posts A A, and thereby increasing the relative reactive and shearing tenacity of said curves and ultimate strength of said post in the proportion of ten to one at the lowest ratio, for which reason it is a valuable improvementin the construction I 5 of said cars, and, furthermore, from the fact that the post being of equal strength in all parts it can be made lighter and possess more strength than those at present used, which have to be made much stouter than is wanted in order to insure the required strength to the parts that are cut across the grain, while in the event of accident or collision it will be seen that a blow that would shatter a post the fiber of which has been cut across would not affect-certainly would not destroy-a post of which the fiber is not injured. For this reason its use would enable the manufacturer to build a lighter car having more proportionate strength and safety than can be attained by the present mode. As this improvement originated with and has been practically adapted and applied by me in the construction of streetears that I am nowbuilding, I feel justified in claiming the exclusive use thereof in the manufacture of street-cars. I do not claim the panel-frame B as exclusive of panels, but simply as of new and improved construction, inasmuch as its component parts are constructed in the manner before explained, and for that reason possess the same reliable qualities as the posts A A, the new and original device being the metal guard (F, which combines in itself the quadruple functions before named.

Having thus described and defined my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As an improvement in street-cars, the withindescribed post A A, the uprights b I), and cross-piece b of the panelfra1ne B, constructed and adapted as herein described, for the purposes set-forth.

2. In the panel-frame B of astreet-ear, the

metal guard 11 having the goose-neck d, with the flange a, rim-socket 5, hole .9, and flange 5 constructed substantially as herein described, for the purposes set forth.

3. In a seat for street-cars, the panel-frame B, with the metal guard 22 having the gooseneek d, with the flange a, the hole s,ri1nsocket s, and flange .9 in combination with the post A A, seat-bars s draw-bolts Z) and a, and foot-rail stanchion c, constructed and arranged as herein described, for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this th day of November, A. D.- 1888.

\VILLIAM G. ELLIS.

Witnesses G O. W. GATE, A. T. B OWN, 

